‘Dating Naked’ Star Sues Viacom for $10 Million

MANHATTAN (CN) – A contestant on “Dating Naked” claims in court that despite Viacom’s promise that frontal and genital nudity would be blurred on the show, she was “shocked, horrified and outraged” to see that “her vagina and anus … were fully exposed to all viewers” as she wrestled with her date. Jessie Nizewitz sued Viacom, Firelight International, and Lighthearted Entertainment on Wednesday, in New York County Supreme Court. Nizewitz, 28, claims that in March she submitted an application to audition for a then-untitled “reality dating television show.” She had a Skype interview with casting agents that month, in which she was informed “that the television show would be a nude dating show; however, she was promised that all frontal and genital nudity would be blurred out when broadcast,” Nizewitz says in the lawsuit. She claims that the defendants hired her in April, and filmed her for the VH1 show in May. “During filming, plaintiff was strongly encouraged by Defendants to perform a wrestling takedown on her date, which, after some convincing and further assurances that all frontal and genital nudity would be blurred out when broadcast, plaintiff agreed to perform,” Nizewitz says in the complaint. It continues: “On July 31, 2014, the third episode of ‘Dating Naked,’ in which plaintiff appears as a contestant, was broadcast on VH1. “The episode, as broadcast, shows plaintiff’s wrestling takedown of her date, but defendants did not blur out her vagina and anus, which were fully exposed to all viewers. “Plaintiff, who was watching the initial showing, was shocked, horrified, and outraged to observe this intrusion into her privacy for all to see. “Immediately, plaintiff became subject to ridicule by those watching.” She claims that clips from the show have been posted on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr. She seeks an injunction, takedown, and punitive damages of more than $10 million for breach of oral contract, privacy invasion, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and gross negligence. She is represented by Matthew Blitt, with Levine and Blitt.